The percentage injecting declined each year, preceding the opening of the needle exchange and concurrent with its operation (from 64.6% in 1985 to 43.6% in 1993).

Among the 329 participants who injected in the year before the exchange opened, 1988,53 out of 124 (42.7%) needle exchange users and 168 out of 205 (81.9%) non-users reduced or stopped injecting by 1993 (P<0.001).

Exchange users shared needles less than non-users (P<0.05 in 1993).

HIV infection was unrelated to these reductions in injection.

Conclusions

Methadone-treated IDU with access to a needle exchange reduced injecting and needle-sharing. (...)